Feank l



(Model.)

I. L. SHELDON. Folding Fishing Basket.

No. 228,948. Patented June 15,1880.

- WITNESSES NVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITNOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, u C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. SHELDON, OF RAHWAY, JERSEY.

FOLDING FISHING-BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,948, dated June 15,1880,

Application filed May 7, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. SHELDON, of Rahway, inthe county of Unionand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inFolding Fishing-Baskets, of which the following is a specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of the improvement arranged for use. Fig.2 is a sectional elevation taken through the line :20 .90, Fig. 1. Fig.3is a rear elevation. Fig. 4 rep resents the basket folded for carriage.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish fishing-baskets soconstructed that they may be readily folded into small compass forconvenience in carriage.

The invention consists in constructing a fishing-basket of a flexiblematerial, kept in place by permanent and detachable stiffeningstrips,and having a cover provided with fasteners and a carrying-strap, wherebythe basket can be folded into a small compass for convenient carriage,as will be hereinafter fully described.

The body A of the basket is made of canvas or other suitable flexiblematerial, in the shape of an ordinary fishing-basket, and of any desiredsize.

The bottom, front, ends, and back of the basket A are stiffened bystrips B, of wood or other suitable material, inserted in slides orpockets formed in the said body. The strips B run across the bottom, asshown in Fig. 3. 1n the back they incline outward, as shown in Fig. 3.From the upper forward corners they incline across the ends and front,as shown in Fig. 1, and the front has an upright strengthening stripacross its middle part. This arrangement of the stiffening-strips Bkeeps the basket in shape when opened out, and allows it to be compactlyfolded.

.O is the cover, which is connected atits rear edge to the upper edge ofthe back of the body A, and is stifi'ened at its edges by cross-strips,

and is secured in place when closed by straps D, or other suitablefastenings. The cot'er O has a hole through its middle part, throughwhich the fish are dropped into the basket.

The upper edges of the front and rear parts of the body A are stiffenedby strips E, of wood or other suitable material, the ends of which areinserted in keepers-attached to the said front and back. The strips Eare drawn out when the basket is to be folded.

To the upper rear corners of the back of the body A are attached theends of the strap F, by means of which the basket is carried in theusual manner.

To fold the basket, the strips E are drawn out, the front is presseddown against the back, the cover 0 is turned down upon it, the end partsare then folded over upon the front, and the strap F is wound around thewhole and buckled. Holes are formed in the bottom and in the lower partof the front and ends to allow the water to drip out, which holes arekept open by eyelets.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, afolding fishing-basket constructed, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, of a flexible material, A, kept in place by permanentstiHening-strips B and detachable stiffeningstrips E, and having acover, C, provided with fasteners D, and a carrying-strap, F, as setforth.

2. In a folding fishing-basket, the combination, with the flexible bodyA, of the permanent stiffening-strips B and the detachablestiffening-strips E, substantially as herein shown and described,whereby the basket is kept in shape when in use, as set forth.

FRANK L. SHELDON.

Witnesses JAMES T. GRAHAM, O. SEDGWICK.

